Italy

Depart via scheduled air service. The destination is Rome, Italy.

Arrive in Rome. Meet your Faith Journeys Tour Manager who will assist the group to awaiting chartered motorcoach for a transfer to the hotel for check-in. Afternoon at leisure for relaxation, sightseeing, shopping, or other activities. Evening Welcome Dinner and overnight.

Breakfast at the hotel. This morning we will visit Vatican City to attend an Audience/Blessing with our Holy Father (if available), then tour the Vatican Museums, which house what can be described as the most important collections of art in the world, including the Sistine Chapel. Lunch, on own. Visit St. Peter’s Basilica. Marvel at Bernini’s beautiful bronze canopy and Michaelangelo’s Blessed Mother, known as the Pieta. Enjoy time at leisure for additional sightseeing and exploration. Evening dinner and overnight.

Breakfast at the hotel. This morning we will visit the Colosseum, one of the most well-known symbols of Rome which has long been considered sacred because of the association with early Christian martyrs. Nearby, we will see the Mamertine Prison where St. Peter and Paul are said to have been held before their execution in Rome. Lunch, on own. In the afternoon, we will visit the Catacombs of St. Calixtus, an underground burial site of many early Christians and popes, and get a rare glimpse into ancient Christianity. Our day will conclude at the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls. Evening dinner and overnight.

Breakfast at the hotel. Today we will travel about 80 miles to the Abbey of Monte Cassino where St. Benedict established his first monastery, the source of the Benedictine Order, around 529. The Abbey was almost completely destroyed during a battle in 1944 and was rebuilt and consecrated in 1964. Continue to Pompeii via Naples for a brief panoramic tour. Lunch, on own. Explore Pompeii and witness the ruins of one of the most devastating volcanic eruptions in the history of the region. What is left will give us a glimpse into that era and an idea of what was going on in the lives of the inhabitants moments before that catastrophic eruption. Return to Rome for evening dinner and overnight.

Breakfast at the hotel. Today we will leave Rome for an excursion to Assisi, the site of many a pilgrimage. Assisi is regarded as a very special spot linked in legend with its native son, St. Francis, a gentle saint who founded the Franciscan order and is remembered as a great lover of nature. We will explore the huge 13th-century basilica which contains many possessions of St. Francis. Lunch, on own. Visit the Santa Maria Maggiore, the earliest extant church in Assisi, as well as the Basilica of Santa Chiara (St. Clare), where St. Clare who founded the Order of Poor Clares, followed in the humble ways of St. Francis. We end our tour visiting the tombs of St. Francis and St. Clare. Continue to Florence for evening dinner and overnight.

Breakfast at the hotel. This morning we will tour what is known as the “Cradle of Renaissance” allowing us to see many unforgettable sights such as the domed cathedral, Santa Maria del Fiore, the Ponte Vecchio, Piazza della Signoria, Giotto’s Bell Tower, the bronze “Gate of Paradise”, and the Academy of Fine Arts which contains masterpieces from iconic Italian artists including Michelangelo’s David. Lunch, on own. Afternoon at leisure for exploration, shopping, or other activities. Evening dinner and overnight.

Breakfast at the hotel. Travel 40km west of Venice to Padua (Padova), a picturesque and renowned as the site of the 800-year old Universita’ di Padova and setting for Shakespeare’s “The Taming of the Shrew”. We come to pay homage to St. Anthony and visit the Basilica of St. Anthony where the bones of the saint rest. Lunch, on own. Continue to Venice for evening dinner and overnight.

Breakfast at the hotel. This morning we will be treated to an inspiring tour of Venice, including a visit to the Basilica of St. Mark, which is architecturally a Byzantine wonder covered in golden mosaics and art treasures. Celebrate Mass in the Basilica of St. Mark. Lunch, on own. Visit other sites in and around the Piazza San Marco including the Doge’s Palace, home to the political leader of the Republic of Venice. Enjoy the afternoon at leisure for exploration, shopping, or other activities. Evening dinner and overnight.

Breakfast at the hotel. This morning we will transfer to Milan, Italy’s business hub and a great draw throughout history. We will visit one of the most famous paintings in the world, Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper, which is still located in its original location: the refectory wall of the former Dominican monastery of Santa Maria delle Grazie. Visit the Duomo di Milano, the largest Gothic cathedral in the world. Lunch, on own. Afternoon at leisure for exploration, shopping, or additional sightseeing. Evening Farewell Dinner and overnight.